ESPN Sunday NFL Countdown and Monday Night Countdown Features

Bill Parcells on Sunday NFL Countdown to Preview Patriots at Colts Game

November 1, 2007 -- Former NFL coach Bill Parcells, who led the New England Patriots to a Super Bowl appearance in 1997 and one of only four coaches last year who beat the Indianapolis Colts, will make his second Sunday NFL Countdown appearance of the season Sunday at 11 a.m. ET. Parcells will join Chris Berman, Mike Ditka, Keyshawn Johnson, Tom Jackson, Emmitt Smith and NFL insider Chris Mortensen to preview the New England Patriots (8-0) at Indianapolis Colts (7-0) game featuring the only remaining undefeated teams in the NFL.

The two-hour program will also preview all league games and will include reports from Indianapolis by Sal Paolantonio covering the Patriots and Ed Werder reporting on the Colts, and Rachel Nichols in Kansas City for the Packers at Chiefs game. Steve Young will contribute his weekly Sunday segment – “Young is Restless” – featuring his opinion on the week's hottest topics. Other highlights:

Manning and Brady

While the Pats at Colts matchup will determine which undefeated team is better, the game will also answer which quarterback – Peyton Manning vs. Tom Brady – is better? Reporter Greg Garber turns to Hall of Fame quarterbacks Warren Moon, Jim Kelly and Steve Young to break down how both quarterbacks compare to one another.

Jon Kitna

In preseason, Lions quarterback Jon Kitna made a “guarantee” that the 3-13 Detroit Lions would turn into a 10-win team in 2007. With a 5-2 record, Kitna is halfway to fulfilling his prediction. Nichols discovers how Kitna has won over the Lions locker room while winning games for Detroit.

TJ’s Tale of the Tape

Countdown’s Jackson answers the tough questions about the Patriots and Colts – who has the edge in all the key areas of the game in an old-school “tale of the tape” that compares the two unbeaten teams.

Ditka and Parcells on Patriots-Colts Coaching Chess Match

Ditka and Parcells will analyze the coaching moves and countermoves that will take place between Bill Belichick and Tony Dungy during the Patriots-Colts match-up.

Mayne Event: Tony Romo – Guitar Hero III

During the Cowboys bye week, quarterback Tony Romo was playing Guitar Hero III in an Xbox live matchup against actress Carmen Electra. In a special “Mayne Event,” Kenny Mayne reports on the Romo vs. Electra match-up from Los Angeles (Electra) with Werder, reporting from Dallas (Romo) in a bi-city contest.

Demo: Patriots/Colts & “The Slot”

The Patriots and Colts offenses make great use of their receivers in the “slot” positions. Parcells leads the Countdown analysts in demonstrating how both teams use the “slot” receiver and how both defense need to play against the “slot.”

Soundtracks: 2006 AFC Championship Game – Patriots vs. Colts

In ‘Soundtracks,’ Countdown takes fans inside the sights and sounds of last season’s AFC Championship game when Peyton Manning and the Colts overcame a 21-3 deficit to defeat the Patriots and reach the Super Bowl.

Takin' It To The House

10-year-old Jason Krause has taken to “running up the score” in his day-to-day life. He has many voices in his head with advice on how to deal with the dilemma – showing a killer instinct or good sportsmanship. Whose advice would win out in the end?

Start 'Em or Sit 'Em with Matthew Berry

ESPN.com Fantasy Football guru Matthew Berry will answer online fantasy football questions posted by fans on www.espn.go.com/sundaycountdown in “Start ‘Em or Sit ‘Em” and will also preview weekly trends and sleepers for Week 9.

Berman, Ditka, Jackson, Johnson and Smith will pick the biggest games of the day and tell fans which players will make the biggest impact in NFL’s Week 9 action, focusing primarily on the Pats-Colts game.

MONDAY NIGHT COUNTDOWN, 7 P.M. ON ESPN

Monday Night Countdown Delivered by UPS with Berman, Jackson, Johnson, Parcells and Mortensen (in Bristol) and Stuart Scott, Young and Smith (at the MNF game in Pittsburgh) will review the outcome of Sunday’s games and preview Monday Night Football. The pre-game show will lead into the kickoff of Monday Night Football – Baltimore Ravens at Pittsburgh Steelers (starting at 8:30 p.m.), featuring Mike Tirico, Ron Jaworski and Tony Kornheiser with sideline reporters Suzy Kolber and Michele Tafoya.

Sal Paolantonio and Kolber will report on the Ravens while Bob Holtzman and Tafoya will cover the Steelers.

Hines Ward: Pampered

Despite the jokes his teammates make about him, Hines Ward gets pampered on a regular basis at a salon owned by former Steelers safety Mike Logan. The Steelers wide receiver gets pedicures and head massages, but most importantly, manicures. He believes as a wide receiver, if he takes care of his hands, those hands, in return, will take care of him. Monday Night Countdown heads to the salon with Hines Ward.

Soundtracks: Baltimore Ravens

In a unique “Soundtracks” segment, Monday Night Countdown takes viewers on the field with several Ravens players to relive the team’s Oct. 7 win over the 49ers. Players Ray Lewis and Ed Reed and head coach Brian Billick were among those miked-up for “Soundtracks.”

Field Pass

Countdown offers an all-access look at pre-game preparations as the players get ready for kickoff. Analysts will also discuss the important storylines and key players before the game.

WEEKLY MONDAY NIGHT COUNTDOWN SEGMENTS

READ AND REACT – Parcells and wide receiver Johnson offer their widely differing looks at the game.

BOILING POINT – On the field, Parcells and Mike Ditka were two of the most intense coaches in NFL history. On Monday Night Countdown, they offer their take on which coaches and players have reached their boiling points in the NFL

TEAMS AT 20 – Every 20 minutes reporters Paolantonio, Kolber, Holtzman and Tafoya will update news from the teams in their preparations for the game.

In addition, Monday Night Football's Tirico, Jaworski and Kornheiser will preview the night’s match-up, with Mortensen covering breaking news from around the league and the Countdown analysts offering their “Lead Pipe Lock” predictions for the game.

Source: ESPN

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